Ride the Lightning - Aimee Nicole Walker Page 0,99
his wits.
Buy them time.
Jonah looked away from Avery to check on Ricky, who’d kept his back to Malcolm as they’d discussed. Ricky swallowed hard, but his dark eyes shimmered with determination. He gave Jonah a subtle nod of encouragement.
“Malcolm, what the hell is going on?” Jonah didn’t have to fake the surprise in his voice. While he’d factored many contingencies, Malcolm abducting Avery wasn’t one of them. He’d been wrong, and now Avery could pay the ultimate price for his mistake. Please not again.
Jonah took a deep breath to calm his nerves. He wasn’t without surprises of his own and hoped the final point would go in his favor. Keeping everyone alive until the big reveal was his top priority.
“Expecting Trexler?” Malcolm scoffed. “That pathetic ass kisser doesn’t have the balls to color outside the lines. He’s as much of a Boy Scout as you are, and I was shocked when the two of you didn’t click right away. It worked out great for me because I was able to play the two of you off one another. I manipulated Trexler into badgering and bullying you, knowing it would tear you down like your granddaddy used to do.”
Jonah cringed and Malcolm laughed, sounding completely unhinged.
“I came along and built you up to gain your trust. You soaked that shit up like a sponge.”
Jonah gritted his teeth to keep from interrupting him. He couldn’t risk Malcolm getting pissed and taking it out on Avery.
“You should see your face right now. Don’t worry. It wasn’t all a lie. I am quite fond of you.”
“I can tell,” Jonah said dryly. So much for keeping your mouth shut. “I had a killer headache for nearly a week the last time you showed how much you cared.”
Malcolm scoffed. “I wasn’t the one who hit you. The dumbass was only supposed to shake you up, not inflict brain trauma. You should’ve left well enough alone. Once you started digging into Earl’s murder, I had to act fast. I realized Trexler made one hell of a patsy since the dumb fuck doesn’t understand a thing about the division he supervises, and everyone knows how much he hates you. I thought you cyber geniuses would’ve caught on, but maybe you’re not as smart as you thought.”
The deputy director stopped about twelve feet from Jonah. Far enough to maintain separation and prevent Jonah from performing a heroic act to free Avery, but close enough that he wasn’t likely to miss Jonah if he decided to pull the trigger. Jonah wasn’t worried about his own life; he wanted to protect Avery and Ricky. If he could get Malcolm to lower the gun or point it at him, Avery might stand a chance.
Jonah held his hands up to demonstrate he wasn’t a threat and took a few steps toward Malcolm. Instead of aiming the gun at Jonah, Malcolm tightened his grip around Avery’s neck again.
“Don’t move,” Malcolm said. “Your little boy toy can die quickly, or he can suffer slowly. Which will it be?”
Jonah jerked to a stop as Avery’s eyes widened with panic again. “Okay. Okay. Just ease up.”
Malcolm narrowed his eyes. “I’m calling the shots, Jonah.”
“Yes, you are,” Jonah calmly said, taking a few steps backward.
Avery sucked in a lungful of air when Malcolm eased up again.
“You’re a fucking pussy,” Malcolm hissed. “Or maybe you’re a glutton for punishment. Is that it? Do you like it when people demean and humiliate you? Maybe you get off on it.” Jonah wasn’t sure how he was supposed to answer Malcolm, so he decided to stay quiet. “Are you armed?”
“No, sir,” Jonah said, playing along. “You know about my aversions to guns.”
“I do,” Malcolm said, nodding. “I also know it’s going to get your boyfriend killed just like it did your buddies in Afghanistan. How a coward like you survived the war is beyond me. Just proves the good ones die young while the wimps come home in one piece and protest. It should’ve been you in one of those flag-draped coffins.”
Malcolm’s words were like daggers to Jonah’s soul. Hiding his pain would’ve made Malcolm suspicious, so he let the man see his wounds.
“Slowly lift your shirt and turn around. I want to make sure you don’t have a gun tucked into the waistband of your jeans,” Malcolm instructed. “Make any sudden moves, and I will blow Avery’s brains out right in front of you.”
Jonah did as he asked, dropping the hem of his shirt and raising his hands back in the